Barking Lions

The idea for the next book wasn’t mine.

In fact, I have so much stuff in the vault right now that it crossed my mind to take a really long break from writing.

Yet, I ran into possibly my oldest friend in September. Another buddy was there and the three of us began speaking about the softball team that was a huge part of our adolescence.

“It’s too bad that we don’t know someone who could write that story,” my buddy said.

I laughed.

“Think about it, though. There was so much love, faith, togetherness, loss, and tragedy.”

I made zero promises. I have a whole bunch of work going on. Yet, before that week was even out, I decided to see how it suited me.

I wrote the first chapter. 

Then set it aside until last week. When I wrote the second chapter. 

“Hmmm.”

I am now on Chapter 10.

Writing it as though I’m reading it. As fast as I can type it.

A couple of things are interesting and different about it. 

I didn’t change any names. Went with the first name of every guy that was on that team that was formed back in about 1978.

Asked some of the guys.

“Are you all right if I use your real name and write about your personal tragedies from my point of view?”

“I’m good,” was the general, two-word answer.

And I’m also working on fictionalizing parts of it...

...to protect the guilty.

It’s great fun.

I’ve laughed about stories that I’ve long forgotten, and the cool part about it is that some people are chiming in:

“Remember when?”

It was a team that was thrown together because we were a group of friends...

...some weren’t great players. (I was).

But the group was so much better than the sun of its parts. 

We battled together.

On the field and off.

The “off” part was the important part...

...and it’s a story I’m honored to tell.